What Really Matters
by Itssupereffective
Summary: When Ash suffers another lose in the Kalos League Championship he starts to doubt himself and his dreams. The only one there can set him straight is Serena and she'll do and say whatever it takes. One-Shot. Amourshipping.


Welcome everyone to my new Armourshipping one shot! I hope you guys like it and enjoy.

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It had been a rough day for Ash, having just lost in the semifinals of the Kalos League Champion. He had never been this flustered from a lost before and the continuous losses in the big one were starting to get to him. Standing on the balcony staring into the sunset he just stood there with a million thoughts racing through his head, he didn't even hear the door to the roof open to allow Serena enter the fray.

"I'm sorry Ash," Serena looked at Ash and the pain that he felt killed her inside, she wanted to help him more than anything, but she wasn't sure how.

Hearing her voice took Ash out of his daze as he tried his best to keep a strong front, "Don't be, I just made some silly mistakes was all, I just need to move on and then on to the next...region." Ash voice trailed off as he finished that sentence, the thought of going to a new region was fun but if at the end of the road there was only a dead end for Ash, is it worth it?

Serena wasn't blind, she could see the pain in his words and the mask that he wore to hide it, "You're only better with each year too!" She exclaimed trying to cheer him up, "Stronger pokemon, more experience, whatever the next region is should be afraid of Ash Ketchum."

Ash wanted her words to make her feel better, to help ease the pain of all of his losses, but at that moment nothing could as the mask that he wore disappeared and out came the true emotions, "The seventh region," he chuckled to himself, "no one should be afraid of a guy who if he can't even win a league conference, what chance does he have at ever becoming a pokemon master?"

"Ash, it's not that-"

"You've only ever been here for one!" Ash angrily said cutting her off, "Sure one loss isn't bad that's to be expected. Two losses? Hey no one ever said becoming a pokemon master was easy. Three losses? Okay there's no excuses now it's time to buckle up and take charge. Four losses? Thoughts start running through your head but you suppress them and keep going and not stopping long enough for them to catch up. Five losses? You're starting to get desperate, you have a trail of failed accomplishments following wherever you go. And now we're here, my sixth loss. Should I go to a new region to probably lose again, or do I start to realize that maybe my dream is just that, all in my head?"

By the time Ash was done with his long rant he looked tried and worn, the losses had finally caught up to him and the doubts had crept in and corrupted his thoughts. Serena opened her mouth to talk but nothing came out, she knew that he was in pain, but she hadn't realized it had been built up this much. She felt so hopeless at the moment, not being able to help the boy who had been helping her since they were both kids.

"I don't know what to do anymore Serena," Ash said taking off his hat and staring into it looking for the answers, "I just don't."

Serena summoned all of the power within her to get a word out of that mouth of her and she was determined to do whatever it took to help Ash. "The Ash that I fell in love with," she paused for a second to see Ash's reaction and she was at least pleased to see that he stopped looking into his hat and instead looked at her with a shocked expression. She smiled with a blush across her cheeks and nodded at him and continued to speak, "he was confident, brave, and an overall happy person. That's what attracted me to him, but the person I'm talking to right now? You're not Ash, you're the opposite of him. Maybe you're too focused on your end goal that you can't even see all the great things you've done, that I've seen in person and that you've told me about. You save people's lives Ash and always fight for what's right and in my eyes that's worth more than any pokemon league championship can offer." She walked up to him with a smile beaming across her face as she could see the red tint on his cheeks as she got closer and closer. Taking his hand and holding into her she began to speak again.

"When I look at you, I don't see any sort of trail of failed accomplishments that you were saying, I don't see any of that crap that you were just spewing. All I see, is the boy that took Kalos by storm. His charming outlook on life, how he goes out of his way to help anyone in need, and that he's always there for me, that's the Ash I know...and the Ash I love."

Now it was Ash's turn to be speechless, those words of hers hit her like a sack of bricks. He had been so caught up in himself and wanting to become a pokemon master that he never stopped to think about the things that he had done outside of winning badges and battling in tournaments. From Kanto to Kalos the real trail that he had left were the good deeds and people whose lives he had affected in a positive way. That, was his real legacy.

After a couple of minutes of silence he looked at Serena who still held her hand in his and smiled, "I guess I've just been really selfish this entire time, huh?"

Serena laughed a bit and nodded her head, "But I forgive you," she happily said.

"Thanks Serena," he said squeezing her hand tightly, "Without you here I might have made some stupid decisions."

"That's what I'm here for," she said with a wink as the night began to creep in.

Serena noticed this and opened her mouth, "It's starting to get dark, you want to come inside and have dinner with Clemont and Bonnie?"

Ash nodded his head and as Serena went to walk to the door to lead them inside she was pulled back by Ash, who hadn't move and was still holding her hand. The pull of Ash's hand had caused to fall backwards towards Ash, she braced herself for impact with the ground and closing her eyes but that never happened as she felt herself in a much more more warm and comfortable place.

Opening her eyes she saw how she was just inches away from Ash's face as he held her in her arms, neither of them said a word but the smiles and blush on their cheeks told the entire story.

After a few seconds of waiting Serena blurted out, "Are you gonna hold me like this all day or are you gonna kiss me already?"

Ash laughed at his own denseness as he slid his hand through Serena's blonde hair, knocking her hat off as their lips finally met. The emotion filled build up to it made the kiss all the better as Serena gripped tightly on the clothes of Ash not ever wanting the kiss to ever end.

Finally it was time to part as they both slowly moved their lips away from each other, each still in a daze of what happened. Letting Serena go and having her stand on her own, Ash looked to the side to see the sunset one more time but was shocked to see that it was completely gone and the sky was pitch black. Serena noticed it too as they locked eyes with each other, no one said a word but they both laughed as they realized how time flies when you're having fun.

Picking up her hat and dusting it off he handed it to her, "Sorry about that hat."

Serena took it and giggled a bit, "I never thought I would say this but for once, I don't mind."

Ash smiled as they both began to make their way to the door, "I guess the next region won't be so bad."

"Of course it won't," Serena happily said, "I mean you will have me there."

This is was the first Ash was hearing of Serena following Ash to a new region but he certainly wasn't complaining as he was elated by the good news, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

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There you go my one shot of Armourshipping I hope you guys liked it. Don't forget to review I always love to hear some feedback especially on a shipping I've never written before.


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